ReviewJuçara fruit (Euterpe edulis Mart.): Sustainable exploitation of a source of bioactive compounds

- Historically, juçara was important for the production of hearts of palm;
- Exploration of juçara fruits have been a change sustainable of a forest species;
- Juçara fruits stand out for their high nutritional and bioactive values;
- Juçara fruits consumption is associated with potent biological activities;
- Composition of fruits E. edulis, E. oleracea and E. precatoria are compared.

Juçara (Euterpe edulis Martius) is a palm tree widely distributed in the Atlantic Forest, which produces round fruits that recently gained worldwide attention, mainly for its resemblance to fruits of Euterpe oleracea and Euterpe precatoria Martius used to produce açaí. Juçara fruits stand out for their high nutritional value, which contain different kinds of nutrients, including fatty acids, protein, fibers, minerals and vitamins, and bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins, non-anthocyanin flavonoids and phenolic acids, which are associated with potent biological activities. The main objective of this work is to present the available compositional data regarding juçara fruits to produce a comprehensive source of recent information on important chemical constituents and the potential health benefits of these fruits in reference to the species E. oleracea and E. precatoria. In addition, information on botanical aspects, production chain and markets are presented.

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